syro-

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (also known as Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, Malankara Syriac Catholic Church) is an Antiochian Rite, Major Archiepiscopal sui iurisEastern Catholic Church in the Catholic Communion in union with the Pope of Rome, historically linked to the Syrian Church. It is one of several groups of Saint Thomas Christians tracing their origin to St. Thomas the Apostle who came to India in A.D. 52 according to tradition. In course of time due to the latinization policy of the Portuguese Indian Church, it was divided in two. One group stood away from the Catholic ecclesiastical authorities and eventually came under the Antiochean Jacobite Church.

From this group Archbishop Mar Ivanios, in an effort to preserve the autonomy of the Apostolic Church, regained the communion with the Catholic Church in 1930. Thus the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church had a humble beginning with only five members on the day of reunion on 20 September1930. Today, it has a total number of around 500,000. Pope John Paul II qualified it as a "fast-growing church".

The liturgy of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is West Syrian in character. The liturgy today is done in Malayalam, Syriac, English, Tamil, and Hindi. The Bethany order male and female and Daughters of Mary do religious work in the Syro-Malankara Church.

Official name of the church

The official name of the church is the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. In Malayalam the church name translates to Syro-Malankara Catholica Sabha or Malankara Suriani Catholica Sabha. Another name that can be associated with the church is Malankara Syrian Catholic Church of India. When the "Syro" is used the name isn't required to use the word Syrian but if the Syro isn't used then Syrian is used. (Ex. Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and Malankara Syrian Catholic Church).

History

The Syro Malankara Catholic Church: The apostolic origin

The mission of the Apostles and their successors planted the Church of Christ at various places. In divine providence (LG 23), the Indian Church was blessed to have an apostolic foundation in 52 A.D. through the evangelisation mission of St. Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. This Apostolic Church was in Catholic Communion from the early centuries.

The St. Thomas Christians and the Portuguese

In the 16th century, this Apostolic Church came into direct relationship with the Western Church through the Portuguesemissionaries. The Portuguese extended the Padroado Agreement in their evangelization programme over India and wanted to bring the Indian Church of the St. Thomas Christians under this jurisdiction. The Church in India which was rooted in the socio-cultural environment and which enjoyed autonomy in internal administration in communion with the Universal Church resisted the unwanted intervention of the Portuguese who brought with them the Western ecclesiastical traditions. The Portuguese missionaries, ignorant of the Oriental traditions of the Indian Church, had the conviction that anything different from the Western Church was schism and heresy. Hence they wanted to Latinize the Syrian Christians of India.

In 1599, Archbishop of Goa Aleixo de Menezes (1595-1617) convoked a Synod of Diamper and imposed latinization on the Apostolic Church of India. This was a blow to the identity of the Indian Church. However, the relation continued till the beginning of the second half of the seventeenth century. The Church of St.Thomas Christians could not withstand any more the denial of her autonomy. The initial resistance slowly gave way to discontentment, which ended up with the revolt in 1653 known as the Coonan Cross Oath. Thus, the one Church of the St. Thomas Christians was split into two. A large majority of the broken-away group hesitated to sever ties with Rome and they remained in communion with Rome, but under the Latin Hierarchy. This group came to be called the Pazhayakûttukar, while the other was known as Puthenkûttukar. The latter group made several attempts to come in communion with Rome safeguarding their autonomy and ritual patrimony. Failing to re-establish communion with Rome, they happened to come in communion with the Jacobite Syrian Church of Antioch. These developments were not acts against the Apostolic See of Rome but against the Portuguese missionaries and their policy of latinization.

The Puthenkûr community came under the influence of the British missionaries in the 19th century. From 1815 till 1836, the year of the Synod of Mavelikara, the British missionaries propagated Protestant ideology among the Puthenkûttukar. This paved the way to the formation of the Mar Thoma Church under the leadership of Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan and Mar Athanasios, who was consecrated Bishop by the Patriarch of Antioch. In order to outdo the reformists Mar Divannasios approached the Patriarch of Antioch. Patriarch Ignathios Pathros III arrived in Malankara and in the Synod of Mulanthuruthy (1876) the Malankara Church had to accept the authority of the Patriarch of Antioch over her. Since then, the Malankara Church has contended that the Patriarch’s authority was only in spiritual matters.

It was in this contentious context that Patriarch Mar Abdulla who came to Malankara, excommunicated Vattasseril Mar Divannasios in the year 1911. In this turbulent situation Fr. P.T. Geevarghese (later Archbishop Mar Ivanios) played a vital role in reinstating the position of the excommunicated Metropolitan and in regaining the self-governance of the Malankara Church. To ward off the undue interference of Patriarch Abdulla in the administration of the temporalities of the Church, Fr. P.T. Geevarghese with the blessing of Vattasseril Mar Divannasios contacted Abded M’siha, the Patriarch of Antioch from whom Mar Abdulla usurped the Patriarchal See of Antioch, and invited him to visit Malankara and to establish a Catholicate here. Accordingly, Abded M’siha came to Malankara in 1912 and established the Malankara Catholicate. Thus the Malankara Orthodox Church in India became an autocephalous Church under its head the Catholicos. Moran Mor Baselios Paulos I (1912–1913), the first Catholicos, died after a short period of five months on 13 May1913.

After the demise of Moran Mor Baselios Paulos I, the See remained vacant until 1925. That was a period of litigation in the Malankara Church, and also a period of spiritual renewal. The litigation for Vattippanam (a fixed deposit of money in the name of the Church) and its after-effects in the community was at its zenith.

The establishment of Bethany Ashram

Fr. P.T. Geevarghese realised that only a spiritual awakening of the Church would give a lasting solution to the problems of the Church. He himself took to sanyâsa and founded the Order of the Imitation of Christ also called Bethany Ashram in the year 1919. The first Ashram was erected at Mundanmala of Ranni Perunad. In 1925 he founded the community of the Sanyasins, the Sisters of the Imitation of Christ also called Bethany Madhom. From these two religious communities winds of spiritual fervour and renaissance blew across Malankara. By a decision of the Episcopal Synod, on 30 April1925 Moran Mor Baselios Geevarghese I was installed as Catholicos. On the following day, the Catholicos consecrated Fr. P. T. Geevarghese under the name Geevargese Mar Ivanios as the Bishop of Bethany.

The Second Catholicos expired on 17 December1928. Moran Mor Baselios Geevarghese I succeeded the late Catholicos. On the day following his installation, he consecrated Mar Theophilos of Bethany and Mar Gregorios of Pampady as Bishops. In the meantime, the civil court’s decision on the litigation for Vattipanam was declared in favour of the Malankara Orthodox Church. This was a civil legal backing up for the Church and the Bishops of the Malankara Orthodox Church stepped out from the endeavours of communion with Rome. But Mar Ivanios stood firmly for the efforts of regaining communion with the Catholic Church.

Metropolitan Archbishop Geevarghese Mar Ivanios

As the Reunion Movement gained momentum, Pope Pius XI through the Apostolic Constitution Christo Pastorum Principi of 11 June1932, established the Syro-Malankara Hierarchy for the reunited community and erected the Archieparchy of Trivandrum with the Eparchy of Tiruvalla as its suffragan. Thus, the Malankara Church re-entered into the hierarchical communion with the Catholic Church. The Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum was inaugurated on 11 May1933 and His Grace Mar Ivanios was enthroned as its first Metropolitan Archbishop. The Eparchy of Tiruvalla was inaugurated on 6 November1933 and Jacob Mar Theophilos was enthroned as its first Bishop.

The reunion of Archbishop Mar Ivanios with the Catholic Church was a historical event in the whole Church, which inspired many of the Malankarites including the Bishops of the Orthodox Church. On 29 November1937, Joseph Mar Severios of the Orthodox Church reunited with the Catholic Church. Later, Thomas Mar Dioscoros, the Metropolitan of the Knanaya Jacobite Church, reunited with the Catholic Church on 12 November1939.
The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church engaged in her double mission of communion of the Malankara Orthodox Church and evangelisation. The Church began to increase in number. With the blessing of Archbishop Mar Ivanios, Joseph Kuzhinjalil founded the missionary congregation of the Daughters of Mary in 1938 at Marthandom in Kanyakumari District. Thus the mission of the Malankara Catholic Church spread to the southern regions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu also.

On 21 February1943 Bishop Mar Dioscoros died. Mar Ivanios worked relentlessly for the building up of the Malankara Catholic Church. Through his travels abroad to Rome, other European countries, America and Australia, he spread the message of ecclesial communion and the awareness of the mission of the Malankara Catholic Church in the Universal Church. After a period of 22 years of the strenuous hectic task of organizing and administering the Malankara Catholic Church he fell ill for more than a year. Nevertheless, he consecrated Benedict Mar Gregorios as his Auxiliary on 29 January1953. Archbishop Mar Ivanios died on 15 July1953. The Eparchy of Tiruvalla was also making strides in its growth and development under the leadership of Jacob Mar Theophilos and Joseph Mar Severios. Mar Severios was the Administrator of the Eparchy until 1950 due to the ill health of Mar Theophilos. In 1950 he was appointed as the Bishop of Tiruvalla. He was also invested with the title ‘Archbishop’. He died on 18 January1955.

The Malankara Catholic Church has been steadily growing and spreading throughout all the States in South India. On 14 February1958 the territorial boundaries of the Eparchy of Tiruvalla was extended to the north including the Malabar region of Kerala, the civil districts of Coimbatore and Nilgiris and Karoor Taluk in Tiruchirappally District of Tamil Nadu and districts of Mysore, Mandya, Coorg, Hasan, Chickamangalore, Shimoga and South Kanara of Karnataka State. On 28 September1977 March Athanasios died.

A significant development of this period is the organisation of the Malankara Catholic faithful in India, outside the canonical territorial boundaries of the Church. From being organized as Malankara Catholic Associations, the communities of our faithful living in the Metropolitan cities of India came to be erected as personal parish communities. With the appointment of Dr. John Berchmans OIC as the Coordinator of the Malankara Catholic Communities in the Extra-territorial regions in India by the Council of Hierarchs of the Malankara Catholic Church, the ecclesial life of these parish communities was coordinated.

Christu Jayanthi Maha Jubilee and the Sapthathy of the Re-union Movement of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church were celebrated jointly at Tiruvalla on 26, 27, 28 December2000. The Patriarch-Emeritus of Syrian Catholic Church, Moran Mor Ignace Moussa [Cardinal] (Daoud), the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches was the Papal Delegate for the Celebration.

A significant development in this period has been the establishment of parishes for the faithful of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in the United States of America. Pope John Paul II nominated the Proto-Syncellus of Bathery Isaac Thottunkal, as Apostolic Visitor and the Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum on 18 June2001 for the Syro-Malankarites residing in North America and Europe. He was consecrated on 15 August2001 at Tirumoolapuram, (Tiruvalla) and he assumed the name Isaac Mar Cleemis.

On 29 March2003 Bishop Mar Timotheos gave resignation to the Holy See due to super-annuation and the Holy See appointed Isaac Mar Cleemis, the Apostolic Visitor to Europe and America, as the Bishop of Tiruvalla. Mar Cleemis took charge of the Diocese on 2 October2003. On January 5, 2005Joseph Mar Thomas was appointed as the Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum and Apostolic Visitor to North America and Europe.

The enthronement of the Major ArchbishopCatholicos as the Father and Head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church on 14 May2005 was officiated by the Patriarch-Emeritus of the Syrian Catholics Moran Mor [[Ignace Moussa Cardinal Daoud|Ignace Moussa [Cardinal] (Daoud)]], the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Apostolic Nuncio of the Pope in India, was present at the enthronement ceremony. The Malankara Major Archiepiscopal Curia (Catholicate Centre) started functioning at the St. Mary’s Campus, Pattom, Trivandrum. On 20 May2005, the Catholicos Moran Mor Cyril Baselios blessed the Curia building. The Catholicos soon constituted the Holy Episcopal Synod. The first Synod of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was convened from 16 to 18 August2005 at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia (Catholicate Centre), Trivandrum.

The first Holy Episcopal Synod constituted the Permanent Synod and the various Synodal Commissions headed by Bishops to take care of various Apostolates of the Church. The official bulletin, MALANKARA, is published from the Catholicate Centre, to communicate the Synodal acts and voice of the Syro-Malankara Major Archiepiscopal Church.
The Platinum Jubilee of the Reunion Movement and the Year of the Eucharist were celebrated jointly at Mar Ivanios Nagar, Punnamoodu, Mavelikara on 19, 20, 21 September2005. Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Apostolic Nuncio of the Pope in India, Shri Bhaironsingh Shekhawat, the Vice-President of India, and Sri Oommen Chandy, the Chief Minister of Kerala, participated in the celebrations.

By the decrees of the Major ArchbishopCatholicos the Metropolitan Province of Tiruvalla with the Eparchies of Bathery and Muvattupuzha as suffragans, was established on 15 May2006 and Isaac Mar Cleemis was appointed as the Metropolitan-Archbishop of Tiruvalla. On 10 June2006 Isaac Mar Cleemis was enthroned as the first Metropolitan-Archbishop of Tiruvalla.
By the decree of the Major Archbishop-Catholicos, on 1 January2007, the new Eparchy of Mavelikara was erected and Joshua Mar Ignathios, The Auxiliary Bishop and protosyncellus of the Major Archdiocese of Trivandrum, was appointed as its first Bishop.

The Second Ordinary Holy Episcopal Synod was convoked on 6–7 December 2006 and it was decided to revive the ministerial titles of Ramban and Corepiscopo which were in vogue in the Church and to honour a few priests for their meritorious service in the Church. Isaac Mar Cleemis, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla, conferred the consecrations on Saturday, 13 January2007 on three priests at St. John’s Cathedral, Tiruvalla and Moran Mor Cyril Baselios Catholicos conferred these consecrations on priests on 17 Wednesday, 2007 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum.

The installation of Aboon Mor Joshua Ignathios was held on 16 February2007 at Mavelikara and Aboon Geevarghese Mar Divannasios, the Administrator of The Malankara Catholic Major Archiepiscopal Church presided over the installation ceremony. The new eparchy has a 30,825 Syro-Malankara Catholic faithful of a total population of 2,998,325 inhabitants. Of this 269,849 are Malankara non-Catholics and 598,824 Christians of other denominations.

On Wednesday, 7 February2007 a long-cherished dream of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was realized. Pope Benedict XVI appointed Dr. Chacko Aerath OIC as the Apostolic Visitor with Episcopal status for the Malankara Catholic faithful residing in the Extra-territorial Regions of the Church within India.

Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis was enthroned the Second Major ArchbishopCatholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church on 5 March2007 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum. His installation service was officiated by Geevarghese Mar Divannasios, the Synodal Administrator of the Church. A large number of ecclesiastical and political dignitaries including [[Mar Varkey Vithayathil|Mar Varkey [Cardinal] Vithayathil]] (Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church), Cardinal Telesphore Toppo (the President of the CBCI), and Sri. V. S. Achuthanandan (the Chief Minister of Kerala) participated in the installation ceremony.

On Saturday, 10 March2007 Dr. Chacko Aerath OIC was consecrated Bishop by Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos and he received the name Jacob Mar Barnabas.

On Monday, 26 March2007 the Aboon Thomas Mar Koorilos was appointed the Second Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla. His installation Ceremony was held on Wednesday, 2 May2007 at St.John’s Cathedral, Tiruvalla. Catholicos Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis was the main celebrant.

On Saturday, 14 July2007 Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, Major Archbishop-Catholicos declared Archbishop Mar Ivanios as Servant of God on the basis of the petition submitted by Rev. Fr. Antony Valiyavilayil, the postulator for the cause of canonization of Archbishop Mar Ivanios the Prophet of Reunion Movement.
The 77th Reunion celebrations, the Platinum Jubilee of the Constitution of the Hierarchy of the Malankara Church in Catholic Communion and the Golden Jubilee of the Immigration of the Malankarites to Malabar were celebrated at Kodencherry in the Eparchy of Bathery from 19 -21 September 2007.

On Sunday, 23 September2007 the 125th birth anniversary of Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios was celebrated at Puthiyakavu, the birth place of the Servant of God in the Eparchy of Mavelikara.

The Silver Jubilee of the Malankara Major Seminary that commenced on Thursday, 29 June2007 was officially inaugurated on Tuesday, 2 October2007 by Catholicos Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis and its concluding celebrations were held from 5–8 November 2007.

As per the provisions of CCEO can. 1063 the Ordinary Tribunal of the Syro-Malankara
Catholic Church was constituted on November 15, 2007.

In the course of the growth and development of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, besides the canonical institutions, various associations such as the Malankara Catholic Youth Movement (MCYM), the Malankara Catholic Association (MCA), the Legion of Mary, Matruvedi, Pithruvedi, and other pious associations have become the backbone of the life of the Church.

Monastic and other religious communities that are founded in the Malankara Catholic Church contribute towards the spiritual enrichment of the Church. Similarly, other Religious Congregations of both men and women founded in other sui iuris Churches are rendering their service in fulfilling the mission of the Malankara Church. The cause of Canonisation of Mar Ivanios, the pioneer of the Reunion Movement is in progress.

Malankara Catholic Youth Movement

Malankara Catholic Youth Movement (MCYM) is the official organization for the youth in Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. The Catholic Youth Movement of Kerala dates back to the second half of the 1960s. Although there were some youth organisations in the parish level at different parts of Kerala, the spread of the organization of the youth movements in the diocese took place rather late. Two reasons seems to be of prime importance for the foundation of the youth organizations in the late 1960s.

Malankara Catholic Association

Founded in 1989, the Malankara Catholic Association (MCA) is the association of lay faithful of the Church. Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, Catholicos is the patron; there are now diocesan sections in the Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvalla, Bathery, Moovattupuzha and Marthandom Dioceses.